This will mark the first time since 1988 that Calvin has hosted an NCAA III Championship final. Calvin hosted the NCAA III Finals in men’s basketball from 1982-to-1988 at the Calvin College Fieldhouse. In 1977, Calvin also hosted the NCAA III Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In 1986, Calvin hosted the NCAA III Finals in women’s volleyball.

“It is with a great amount of humility and honor that we accept these bids,” said Calvin’s Director of Women’s Athletics Dr. Nancy Meyer. “I know that our entire campus community is looking forward to putting together a championship level experience for the teams and fans that will visit our campus for these championship events. We have wonderful facilities and a great staff at Calvin College that will make these championship events special ones.”

Calvin’s Director of Men’s Athletics Dr. Jim Timmer is confident that Calvin will be up to the task in hosting the championships in the coming years. “Growing up, I was around Calvin when we hosted the NCAA III Finals in men’s basketball and I was always struck but how the Calvin community rallied together to put on a wonderful event and how much the athletes, teams and fans appreciated it. I think this will also be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the city of Grand Rapids. The West Michigan Sports Commission has already pledged support in assisting us in hosting these championship events and that will only enhance our role in showcasing our city.”

According to the NCAA, Calvin’s successful championship bids were part of a competitive bidding process.

“We really want to thank everyone who put in a bid,” said Mark Lewis, NCAA executive vice president of championships and alliances. “The competitiveness of the bids made it extremely difficult for the sport committees to select sites as there just weren’t spots for all of the great bids we received. Ultimately the sites that were selected will provide our student-athletes, coaches and fans the best experience possible.”
The new NCAA championship bid process creates the largest host site announcement ever, spanning 82 championships across a four-year cycle. Previously, selection announcements varied by sport. This process now gives the NCAA and host sites more time to plan each championship experience.

Bidding for 82 of 89 NCAA championships began in July and 1,984 bid applications were ultimately submitted. Each sport committee, per division, selected the host sites it believed would provide the ultimate experience for the respective student-athletes, resulting in 523 total championship event sites awarded. The seven championships not included in the process due to preexisting site arrangements are: Division I baseball, Division I men’s basketball, Division I football, Division I men’s and women’s golf, Division I softball and Division III women’s ice hockey.
For more information on all of the NCAA championship sites awarded, log on to http://www.ncaa.com/site-selections.